Controlling apparatus



c. B. KlDNEY 2,081,542

CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1935V lill A n INVENToR.

HISATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1937 Carleton B. Kidney, West Brighton,

Staten island, N. Y., assignor to Ingersoll-B.a.nd Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation'o New Jersey Application January 30, 1935, Serial No. 4,004

Afii'llaixn.

This invention relates to improvements in controlling apparatus, and particularly to controlling means for installations having conduits by whicha compressed iiuid medium is delivered to suitable power-driven apparatus to enable the `latter to be operated thereby. Y

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and elcient means by which such a conduit can be cut oi when'necessary from the source of the power medium, and which is so constructed that said medium itself can produce the desired result at the proper moment. Thus no additional motive agent or connections therefor are required.

The invention is especially adapted for use in systems having a compressor that forces'air through a transmission pipe or conduit to a number of working units. Such a transmission line may break now and then, or under some conditions the iiow of the iluid power medium throug; the conduit may be reversed, and for the time being the load on the compressor becomes unsteady and is greatly increased.

Another object of the invention is to provide means which in an eventuality of this kind automatically interrupts communication between the compressor and the transmission line; the arrangement being such that the breaking of the communication between the compressor and the discharge conduit is brought about by a change in the pressure of the power medium in said conduit.

These and other objects and advantages are set forth in the description and the novel features are pointed out in the appended claim. But the disclosure is illustrative only andnumerous changes may be made in practice without departing from the principle of the invention or exceeding the scope and spirit of the terms in which the appended claim is expressed.

On the drawing the :ligure shows in outline a sectional view oi' an apparatus according to this invention.

lIhe numeral i indicates a compressor, such as a centrifugal blower, which delivers compressed air to a conduit or transmission pipe 2. This pipe-Will conduct the compressed air to a number of drills or other machines to be operated thereby. In the line loi' the pipe 2 is a valve 50 casing 3 containing a suitable valve element t.

This valve is open when the compressor is working and normally it stays open, but in case the pressure in the conduit 2 from any cause drops to a predetermined point the valve means 4 is then 55 actuated to close the conduit.

'Ihe casing 3 is shown as having a neck or extension 5 into which the valve is moved when the conduit 2 is open. Ihe valve has a stemt which extends through the end of the neck 5 and carries a. piston l on its outer extremity. This piston is arranged to move in a cylinder 8 and between the piston and one end of the cylinder is a spring member 9. This spring tends to move the valve toward closed position, and when the cylinder 8 is vertical the weight of the valve and the piston tend to have the same effect. To open the valve and to keep it open a force opposing the spring 9 and the action of gravity is necessary. As shown the piston I may have a rod I0 which passes through an opening in the outer end of the cylinder 8 and is attached to a pivoted lever I I, so that the valve can be opened by hand when the compressor is iirst started.

The cylinder 8 has a port I2 in/its end on the side of the piston toward the valve 4 and this port I2 communicates through a pipe I 3 with a port I0 in the casing I5 of a rotary valve i6. The casing has four ports and the valve has two passages II. The port to the right of the above mentioned port It is connected by a pipe I8 to the conduit 2 beyond the valve 4 and the port directly above the port It is connected through a pipe I9 to a port 20 in the cylinder on the side of the piston 'l engaged by the spring 9. The remaining port in the valve casing I5 which is to the left of the first-named port I4 communicates with an exhaust pipe 2I having a check valve therein operable by an outside knob or handle 22. It is obvious that with the parts in the 'positions shown on the drawing, the pressure of the' compressed air in the conduity 2 takes eiect through the pipes I 8 and I3 to hold the piston i up and keep the valve open.

The valve I6 has an outside ann 23 aixed thereto with an adjustable or slidable weight 24 thereon. At 25 is a cylinder having a piston 28 therein with a stem 21 projecting through one end and carrying a pivoted trip-catch 28. This cylinder is above the arm 23 and the catch 28 has a nger 29 to engage a fixed stop 30 to move this catch. As shown, the catch can swing to the right so that when the arm 23.is lifted it can pass this catch, which can then be hooked on to the end of the arm 23 to hold this arm in raised position and the valve IF in the position shown. If the piston 26, however, is now lowered, the finger 29 will be pushed by the stop 30 to the right and the catch tripped so that the arm 23 is released. It will. then drop into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines so as to 2 shift the controlling device or valve I6 and connect the pipe |3 to the pipe 2| and the pipe I6 to the pipe il.

'Ihe cylinder 26 is connected at its lower end through a pipe Il with the conduit 2 at a point between the compressor i land the valve Il. 'I'he piston 26 tends to be depressed by a spring 32 which engages one end of the piston 26 and has a head 33 at the other end which abuts the inner 28 to release the weighted arm 23 to connect thev pipe I8 with the pipe i9, and the pipe i3 to the pipe 2i, as above stated. The pressure in the conduit 2 is now exerted in the cylinder through the port 2t above the piston l and the space in the cylinder 8 below the piston 'l will be exhausted vinto the atmosphere. Thus the valve can be forced down to closed position.

In operationI when the compressor is started the valve I is partly opened with the manually operated member ii and the arm 23 is latched and held by the part 28. starts up the pressure in the conduit 2 will actuate the motor means including the piston 'l Vhigher and force the valve to full open position,

the top of the cylinder 8 now being exhausted by way of the pipes I9 and 2i. The pressure in the conduit now takes eilect through the pipe 3i and holds the piston 26l in raised position. If, however, there is a break in the conduit. 2 and the pressure drops as a result thereof, the spring 32 of the releasing means can force down the piston 26 unlatching the arm 23. -The lower half of the cylinder 6 is now exhausted and the pres- 4ov sure in the conduit 2 takes effect to lower the piston 1 and valve l. Likewise, if from any cause the ow of the compressed air tends to be reversed in the conduit 2, a drop in pressure therein takes place, and such a drop, even it tempo- 45 rary, will at once enable the piston 26 to release the arm 23. The conduit 2 will then be closed as before.

It will be seen that the above apparatus is very simple in design and operation and is gov- 50 erned by the pressure of the power medium it- When the blower i drives the compressor i, loss of powerif the com- -pressor is electrically operated, the power which would beneeded to run an electric motor, or by the speed of the compressor or unit which actuates it. With any of these forms o1' power the mechanism could easily be. disposed to hold and release the piston 26 so as to enable the pressure in the conduit to move the valve as required.

Of course a valve different from the valve of the gate type such as is shown at 4 might be employed, and the apparatus will workl just as well with a rotatable plug valve, for the piston 6 could easily be connected to turn such a valve to open or closed position.

'I'he rod i6 is encircled by the spring 9 and it passes through the outer end kof the cylinder 6 in an air-tight bearing 36 which permits reciprocation of this rod. The 'lever may carry/a weight member 3l which is adjustable like the weight 2t.

To move the valve away from closed position the lever Il has to be lifted only slightly. Spring S may be omitted and reliance placed upon the weight 31 together with the weight of the valve and piston l, or the spring may be included when desired, and then the valve will close and be heldshut even if the pressure on the top of the piston l were absent. vOf course, if the parts are mounted insuch position that the/.movement of the valve is not vertical the spring/*9 becomes quite necessary. l

I claim:

Apparatus comprising a conduit to receive a pressure fluid. a valve to close the conduit when the pressure of the fluid fails, a. motor to actuate the valve, ducts diverting fluid from the conduit to the motor to operate the latter, a second valve in the ducts governing the admission of uid to the motor, said second valve having a weighted arm aillxed thereto fon moving the same, means including a latch engageable with the arm, said means being dependent upon normal pressure fluid to hold the arm and latch in engagement and thereby hold the armand second valve in a.I substantially xed position, said means also including a member tending to disengage the latch and arm, whereby when said pressure fails said member eifectsdisengagement of the latch and arm, the arm upon disengagement with the latch operating freely tov immediately alter the CARLE'I'ON B. KIDNEY. 

